Meet the BetterInvesting FamilyThese are just some of the people who have benefited from BetterInvesting's mission to provide education that helps investors make sound investing decisions for their portfolio.

Elaine Huang, New York“Being a scientist, I find little difficulty in studying investments. I truly enjoy using the Stock Selection Guide to analyze stocks and since joining BetterInvesting, I haven’t bought a single stock without completing one.

“We invested early in our two granddaughters’ education funds at their first birthdays. It will be a big help in getting them through their education.”

Ira Haas, Connecticut “Our family’s portfolio has tripled in value since I’ve joined BetterInvesting. We’re using our investment gains to pay for our comfortable retirement. We fully paid for our daughter’s college and graduate school, and her upcoming wedding is also covered.”

Irina Clements, Virginia

“I’ve found great personal fulfillment in sharing BetterInvesting’s fundamental investing message with my local community. Since joining BI, my own portfolio has increased from three figures to the high six figures. I intend to use my investment gains to travel extensively and fund my future grandchildren’s college educations. (None yet, but I’m hopeful!)

“I’m passionate that women need to educate themselves about investing. Doing so will help ensure financial security for themselves and their families within the new paradigm in which workers fund and manage their own investments.”

Harvey Scott, Washington"Probably the best compliment to BetterInvesting came recently when my financial adviser called to ask: ‘Harvey, would you update your stock study on XXX? Our analysts believe it could be an overvalued sell candidate, but we should see what your Stock Selection Guide has to say about that first, don’t you think?’.”

Andy Pagorek, Illinois

“I’m a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. I’ve been very interested in investing since high school and joined BetterInvesting in 1995 after reading a story about the Beardstown Ladies.

“My portfolio has grown 800 percent since joining BetterInvesting. BetterInvesting has enriched my life with both education and close friendships. Join now, as fast as you can. You will not be disappointed in the education you’ll receive.”

Sandy Barlow, New Jersey

“BetterInvesting has given me the confidence to take care of my finances. I’ve been a member for 26 years now. My husband didn’t have time for the stock market, so I decided I should learn how to invest and I’ve never looked back!

“I find it rather amazing that a schoolteacher who didn’t know anything about finance can actually manage her finances well now. If you want to learn how to invest wisely, too, trust BetterInvesting to lead you through the maze of handling your own portfolio.”

Ann McGregor, Alabama

“An inheritance led me on a quest to learn about the stock market. I floundered about until I discovered BetterInvesting. My bachelor and master degrees prepared me for teaching English, but my BetterInvesting membership has been equal to a Ph.D. in financial literacy. My financial books and publications have helped tremendously. But BetterInvesting Magazine is the best.

“My portfolio is filled with two kinds of stocks; one is income producers (for us, now); the other is for growth (for our children, later). It’s for this last part that I’m forever indebted to BI. I could have never done it on my own. My frugal uncle, whose widow left me their estate, would be so proud of me, as my husband is.

“Thank you, BetterInvesting.”

Georgi Krom, Washington

“BetterInvesting’s Stock Selection Guide (SSG) is a superb tool for investing. The two-page glimpse into any public company’s 10-year history of revenues and earnings is a visual way of really seeing a company.

“You do not have to be a hedge fund manager or listen to TV commentators to pick good stocks. Starting small and adding gradually to positions is a great way to go. Do your own research, even if you get ideas from other sources. The younger you are when you start the better — but try not to put it off. Stock appreciation is powerful over time.”

Gary Ball, Washington

"I started investing shortly after getting my first job; I’d just graduated from the University of Washington in the early 1970s. I continued to invest for about 10 years, but lacked an investment strategy. In the early 1980s, I read an article in the local newspaper about a BetterInvesting investment club. It sounded like something I’d be interested in, so I contacted the club and joined shortly thereafter. Within a couple of years, I began teaching a BetterInvesting class in the Seattle area. I benefitted immediately from learning a proven investment strategy, which has served me well for 30 years. I give BetterInvesting credit for allowing me to retire at age 51 and enjoy wonderful years of boating, traveling and spending more time with my family."

Raffaele De Gennaro, Gragnano, Italy

“I discovered what I call the BetterInvesting family in 2010 while reading Beating the Street by Peter Lynch. Even though I have a degree in economics, I still study finance to find ways to wisely invest in the stock market.

“My weekly routine consists of reading/studying books, articles, 10-Ks, and reports, as well as attending webinars. This could seem very ordinary, but here in Italy this is absolutely extraordinary. …

I have a grandmother (93 years old!) who absolutely does not understand what I do, but she has accepted the idea that sometimes I have to stay connected to the USA late at night.

“BetterInvesting has changed the way I invest, and I believe this is the only way to approach the market without being devoured by it. I have learned to become a successful investor and all the people I have had contact with are so gentle and available. I owe a great debt to all the BI members who have taught me.”

Dene Alden, Ohio

“In the late 1990s, I started looking for a group that taught the basics of investing without an ‘agenda’ based in the for-profit investment world. I was introduced to NAIC — now called BetterInvesting — and found one of the best educational groups for me. I’m learning to control my emotions by better understanding the system. Since then, I’ve joined two clubs for support and education, and use this understanding in my portfolio. ”

Barry Detloff, Wisconsin

“The thing I like most about BetterInvesting is the volunteers giving of their time to share their investment expertise. Run, don’t walk, to sign up for BI! My wife and I are able to go places and do things we might not have been able to do if not for BetterInvesting.”

Moorthy Medavarapu, Virginia

“I started investing when I was 25 using the BetterInvesting approach and I’m in the top 10 percentile in terms of net worth. Just by saving and investing small amounts regularly following BetterInvesting’s four principles, one can accumulate considerable wealth.”

Moorthy said he plans to open a brokerage account for his 10-year-old daughter soon. “I will open it with $1,000 and teach her about long-term investing,” he explains. “I wish I had started investing 10 years earlier myself. Time will compound your investments and the longer you invest, the better.”

Del DeVries, Tennessee

“I joined BetterInvesting in 1996, prompted by wanting my own monthly copy of BetterInvesting Magazine. I first started investing in stock mutual funds a year out of college. Although that event started my investing in stocks, I didn’t have a solid method of analyzing and valuing stocks until I began to dig into BetterInvesting. Over the past 15 years I’ve used family investing and discussion to teach my kids (ages 24, 20 and 13) about business, investing, and long-term perspective. I may teach in a university, but I typically only get to work with students over a few semesters. BetterInvesting provides a lifetime of continuous learning opportunities.”

Mimi Rauschelbach, Arizona"In the ‘80s, I bought a stock, Liz Claiborne, a clothing line with its own separate store area, something very new then. The clothes were classic, affordable and fit me. That was the extent of my financial analysis of the company. The stock did well for a number of years. In the ‘90s, friends decided to start an investment club. We found BetterInvesting. The local and national chapter volunteers answered all our questions and mentored us as needed. There I learned, among other things, when to sell a stock — just in time. Since then this has been my “go-to” place for investor training. I'm also a volunteer now. If you want to feel confident about your investing skills, you have found your place. It’s up to you. We’re here to help."

Mike Torbenson, Washington“In my 30s I was working for myself and began wondering how I can create an income stream during my retirement. I met a fellow in an investment club and the rest is history. BetterInvesting provided the answer and the methodology. Today, I credit BetterInvesting with my ability to be comfortably retired.”

Deane Jaeger, Wisconsin

"I’ve been a member of investment clubs and BetterInvesting for more than 25 years. I started investing as a teen and investing and financial literacy have turned into a lifelong endeavor. Investing is the great equalizer where everyone regardless of economic background, level of education, gender or ethnicity can be successful. BetterInvesting has taught me the tools and the discipline necessary to become a successful investor. I’ve been blessed to be able to show, by example, friends and family members the benefits of taking control of their financial future. This would not have been possible without BetterInvesting!"

Bill Milam, Indiana

“Where do you start? The answer is ‘Join a club.’ Being around people will provide you with the opportunity to be encouraged along the way. Being around people who have experience in investing will give you the opportunity to bounce ideas around. BetterInvesting will be able to guide you to the best opportunities for learning.”

Avi Horwitz, New York

"I found BetterInvesting through my mother, who was in an investment club. It provided me with a simple methodology that appealed to me as a numbers person and as a visual person. BetterInvesting became a family: the local chapter, the online discussion lists and stock studies. I don't know what my life would be without the BetterInvesting community."

Jackie Koski, Ohio

"After investing for a few years with very little thought or strategy, I learned about BetterInvesting. I joined the Cincinnati Model Club in 2008 and learned a great deal from the BI philosophies and the dedicated members. My portfolio has vastly improved — beating the major indices in 2010. I now have the thought, vision and tools necessary to be a successful investor."

Ionnie McNeill, Washington, D.C."Accompanying my mother, Ann McNeill, to BetterInvesting classes at the age of 7 was the beginning of my investment education journey. Reading BetterInvesting publications encouraged me to invest as a kid, which I did with my mom’s help. Now I’m sharing the wealth of youth investing as 'The Baby Billionaire.' "

John Tufts, Colorado

"I heard about BetterInvesting in an article in Consumer Reports and again in another article in The Wall Street Journal. Both sources praised it for teaching beginners the basics of investing. I've learned so much that I'm now teaching classes on mutual funds as a volunteer for the association."

Janet Holt, Arkansas"I used to think that investing was too complicated to comprehend and best left to experts. I read about BI in several books and found a local chapter online. Everyone was so warm that I immediately felt at ease. BetterInvesting played a crucial role in my journey to becoming an author (Investing: Starting From Scratch)."

Bakul Lalla, California

"I came to BetterInvesting after reading the magazine at my local library. BetterInvesting teaches you that saving and investing doesn't require a high IQ. What it really takes is the discipline to stick with a strategy through thick and thin. BetterInvesting provides that framework."

Claire Struthers, Minneapolis

“I became a volunteer with the Northern Lights Chapter in 2007, when my husband and I moved to Minneapolis. We’re very happy with the investments that I’ve personally made as well as the investments of my investment club. We love seeing our money grow and enjoy learning more about investing the further we go. I’ve started on the path to teach others about investing and thus have learned more myself. I trust my own judgment.

“Recently, I was given the opportunity to let someone else take over my 401(k). I went ahead without doing the research and almost immediately was remorseful. I found out that my 401(k) went down almost as soon as someone else started managing it. I remembered as the alarm bells were ringing in my head — hey, this is what we teach! Don’t let someone else manage your money. Take charge of it yourself.

“I promptly asked to make a switch to turn it back over to me. The person trying to justify not letting me take it back said that the money managers had a return rate of ‘only 0.90 percent less than the S&P 500.’ I already knew from taking BetterInvesting’s mutual funds class that I had an option to put my 401(k) in the S&P 500 index fund as an option of my 401(k). So, I knew that I could do better than the money managers and I wouldn’t have to pay them!"

Gayle Olson, Minnesota

“I’ve been a member of BetterInvesting since 1990. Short of getting an MBA, learning BetterInvesting methodology is the best way to become a successful investor. In some ways, it may even be better.”